Parallels seen between water, ag chemicals

There was a time when farmers took their best guess when it came to applying fertilizer. They applied the chemical, then waited to the end of the season to see how their yields turned out. They had no way of knowing if they could have achieved the same number of bushels per acre with less fertilizer, or if applying just a little more could have had dramatic effects.

But they've wised up, because they have had to. It's not just that they cannot afford not to raise as much crop as possible from every acre, or to waste money on unneeded chemicals, but they know excess fertilizer and other chemicals seep into the groundwater, endangering the health of their families and neighbors.

Now, soil tests and other measures help them apply only enough fertilizer and chemicals to achieve the results they desire.

Farmers are wising up about water as well, and the reasons are similar. Today's farmer, especially in the Republican River, is facing more water restrictions than ever and is paying more than ever in energy costs to pump the water out of the ground and onto the crops.

University of Nebraska experts recently pointed out some of the steps that can make each inch of water count -- put crops on a water diet, so to speak. During a recent best irrigation water management session, experts explained that corn planted in April, for example, might not need additional water, while May-planted corn and soybeans might need another round of water.

According to a story from the Kearney Hub, it's possible to stress the corn crop a little before tassel time without affecting yields. Then, toward the end of the year, farmers can allow the crop to dry down the soil profile, using up water to leave room for the soil to store offseason moisture or the first irrigation of the next year.

Plus, technology is making a degree of precision possible which could only have been dreamed of in years past.

At a minimum, a rain gauge at each field should make it more clear how much irrigation is required. At best, soil monitors, coupled with efficient irrigation systems like those produced right here in McCook, make it more and more possible to provide the growing plant precisely the amount of water it requires, precisely when it is needed.

No, it's not easy getting by with less, especially when it's the water that provides the lifeblood to our crops. But in the long run, the steps taken to deal with tighter supplies will make for stronger, more profitable crop production.